Elsa's Search for Happiness
by sralbrigh
Summary: Post-Great Thaw, Anna has Kristoff, and things are getting serious. How will Elsa find happiness? Can she get rid of the loneliness that has surrounded her for so long? Future romance and maybe more. Please R&R. BACK TO REGULAR UPDATES I know it's been a hot minute, but I will finally finish this story. Lykke-happiness, Troverdig-trustworthy, Bedra-deceiving, Forræder-traitor
1. What's Wrong with Elsa?

_"_ _No!" Anna screamed as she reached out her hand. Her body suddenly stiffened, and she turned a translucent blue from the tips of her fingers to the ends of her toes. The sword, unsheathed and preparing to strike, fell from the air and struck Anna's icy palm. As the two surfaces crashed, a great wind blew the sword back, but Anna's frozen body stood unflinching._

"Anna!" Elsa screamed, waking suddenly, bolting upright, and throwing her covers off.

In her dark room, snowflakes hovered around her decorating the walls with their faint navy shadows. Elsa buried her head in her hands. She shifted in bed and held one of her palms in front of her face.

"Ugh," she sighed, and with a quick wave, the snowflakes disappeared. She thought for a moment how pretty they had been against the moonlight, and she flicked her fingers. The snowflakes reappeared dancing across the winter-colored wallpaper before suspending themselves in the air, as if held by strings.

Elsa snuggled deeply into her blankets and pillows, not for warmth's sake, since temperatures would never bother her, but to try to find comfort enough to fall back asleep. It was in these early hours of the morning that she had her nightmares. She often prayed for a full night's sleep, but the nightmares had become more frequent lately, and she could not shake the feeling that Anna's absence was the cause of them. Anna and Kristoff were spending increasingly more time together, leaving Elsa alone with her thoughts.

"Good morning Kai," Elsa said as she opened the door. Kai, who had been mid-knock, right on time, was accustomed to Elsa being a better alarm clock than the sun. He was always instructed to wake her at 6:00am, and she consistently opened her door at 5:59 looking ready to take on the day.

"Good morning, Queen Elsa," Kai smiled.

"Please Kai, just Elsa," she insisted.

"I'm sorry, I forgot again Qu… Elsa."

Elsa giggled at Kai misspeaking. Old habits die hard, and she knew it, but she did not want any of the servants to address her formally unless they were at a public event. It made her feel like a stranger in her own home, and lately she had been feeling lonely enough.

Kai read her the day's agenda as they walked down the hall together. He stayed slightly behind her as they proceeded, which was also something she had requested that he stop doing, but she had already corrected him once for the morning, so she let it be.

They rounded a corner and almost smashed into Anna and Kristoff. They were holding hands and rather obviously trying to sneak back to Anna's room.

Elsa asked in a motherly tone, "What on earth are you two doing?"

"We uh, we were just, uh, um," Kristoff sputtered incoherently, embarrassed by being caught.

"We were just on our way back from feeding Sven!" Anna offered, far too eagerly for it to be true.

"At six in the morning?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We, um, wanted to get an early start to the day!"

"That's right!" Kristoff chimed in.

"How fantastic!" Elsa answered sarcastically. Then, looking at Anna with a knowing grin, she said, "Then you can meet with the delegates from the trade alliance at 7."

"What?!"

Elsa did not wait for an argument. She gently walked past her little sister's open-mouthed expression and reached up to her hair.  
Pulling a piece of hay out of it, she gently whispered, "You may want to clean up a bit first."

Kristoff smacked his forehead in defeat and whisked Anna away to her room. Anna maintained the same shocked expression all the way down the hall.

Kai and Elsa giggled as they continued down the hallway.

"Your majesty," Kai asked, "How did you know what they were up to? I didn't see the hay in her hair."

"Kai, I know my sister. She has never been, and will never be a morning person."

Kai laughed and added, "When are you going to tell her that there isn't a meeting with delegates this morning?"

"After she wanders around the castle trying to find the meeting for a little while." Amid the shared chuckles, Elsa suddenly thought back to her nightmare, and she clutched her head. She weakly leaned against the railing of the stairs, and Kai grabbed her arm to support her.

"Your majesty!" Kai exclaimed, "Are you alright?"

"Please Kai," she whispered as she went limp, "Call me Els…"


	2. Planning

"Anna!" Elsa screamed.

She sat up quickly as Anna rushed to her side.

"What is it?!" Anna grabbed her sister's chilly hand.

"No, not again…" Elsa sighed.

"What?"

"It's nothing," she lied as she thought about her nightmare.

"Elsa, you passed out!"

"I'm fine, Anna," Elsa insisted as she quickly got up from the bed. She stumbled in her first steps and Anna forced her back down.  
"You need to stay here. Kristoff went to get Grand Pabbie."

"I don't have time for this today, Anna."

"You need to rest, really. Let me take care of you for once!" Anna asserted.

Kristoff knocked on the door and entered with the old troll. Elsa sighed as they entered.

"Hello, dear. It's been a long time." Grand Pabbie spoke softly with his low, gravely voice.

"Please tell my sister that I'm fine."

Anna reached out to Kristoff, and he took her in his arms. They shared a tight hug, both concerned about Elsa. Elsa saw their embrace and felt a dull pain course up the back of her neck and through her head. She quickly shut her eyes, and Grand Pabbie reached out to touch her forehead.

"My dear," he started, "What is it that calms your powers?"

Elsa couldn't answer as her apparent migraine ripped apart her thoughts. She kept her eyes shut and touched her temples with frosty fingers for relief.

"It's love," Anna answered, "Love thaws."

"What is wrong with me, Grand Pabbie?" Elsa whispered quietly so as not to disturb the pain in her thoughts.

"Elsa, your curse is that fear is your enemy; love is your strength, and you are lacking love. In its absence, your fears are taking hold once again."

"How can she be lacking love?" Anna asked, "We love each other more than ever!"

"I don't fear anything right now," Elsa added.

Kristoff reached out to take Anna's hand, and Grand Pabbie sighed.

"Elsa, you are seeing Anna less these days, no?"

"Yes, I am very busy with work, and she and Kristoff…" Elsa understood immediately. "I'm suffering because Anna loves Kristoff?"

"What?!" Anna and Kristoff both exclaimed.

"How can that be?" Kristoff begged the old rock to explain.

"Elsa, your powers control much of your life. In a delicate balance of love and fear, you must not let fear gain power. You are feeling lonely, and that is throwing your life off-balance. Do you have any romantic interests, dear?"

Everyone in the room blushed involuntarily.

"I just came out of my room after over a decade of seclusion. No, I don't. In fact, the only man I even talk to outside of the palace is Kristoff. What can I do?"

"I think your answer is that you need to find someone."

They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Where would Elsa find a man? Would that really be a solution?

Olaf, who had been listening through the door, came bursting in with a basket of flowers. Throwing them in the air, he exclaimed, "Flowers for everyone! We're going to have a wedding!"

Elsa, Kristoff, and Anna all continued to stare open-mouthed at the troll.

A few days passed and Elsa was feeling better. Anna and Kristoff made sure not to stray from the palace too far, and Elsa kept herself busy with signing ordinances and reviewing procedure proposals.

"So?" Anna bugged.

"So what?"

"When are we having a party?"

"A party?" Elsa answered anxiously. "Why would we have a party?"

"So you can find a man!"

"Oh Anna, I don't need a man. That's just Grand Pabbie being crazy. I'm fine."

"Okay, then if you're fine, I'm going to tell you a secret!"

"What is it?" Elsa answered eagerly.

"Kristoff proposed!" Anna exclaimed all too casually. Elsa suddenly lost her footing and tripped into Anna's outstretched hands.

"See!" Anna stated, standing her sister back up, "You're not fine!"

"Wait, he didn't really propose, did he?"

"No, I wanted to see if you would have another fainting reaction like before, and YOU DID! That's it… The plan is set!"

"Anna what are you doing?" Elsa sighed, rubbing her head.

"I'm throwing a party for you to find a husband, and that's that. I'm going to get Gerda right now."

"Anna, I'll let you throw a party for the sake of having a party, but it's not going to be so I can find some guy. I don't like the idea of being set up."

"Well where else are you going to find someone? You're not exactly meeting a lot of people in the throne room!"

"I will let you throw a party, but let it be a Christmas Party."

"Fine, but…" Anna winked at her sister's frown.

"Anna, please don't start singing…"

" _For the first time in foreverrrrrr, nothing's in your waaaaaaayyyyyyyyy!"_ And with that, Anna disappeared down the hallway.

Elsa muttered to herself, "That's one thing off my to-do list. Gerda told me I had to throw a kingdom-wide Christmas Party."


	3. The Party

The castle buzzed with excitement as everyone set up for the party. Elsa busied herself in the great hall decorating and making ice sculptures. She froze the area right outside the hall into an ice rink and set flurries all around. Strings of crystals hung off of the balconies and exposed columns like frosty garland, and transparent, frozen globes hung delicately on the large tree adorning the center of the castle. Kristoff wrapped the tree in popcorn chains just as quickly as Sven ate the other end, and Anna ran around second-guessing every decision she had made about the party.

"Elsa, should I do my hair differently?"

"It's fine Anna…"

"Should I have picked a different color for the table cloths?"

"It's fine Anna…"

"But, what about…"

"Anna!" Elsa snapped, "Everything is fine. I promise."

"Okay. I just want everything to be perfect for your big night!"

"It will be fine, Anna," Elsa reassured.

As Anna scurried away, Elsa whispered, "And it's not _my big night._ "

The party was a success. Anna buzzed around the room greeting guests while Kristoff (as he was told) looked around the room for potential suitors for the Queen. He was not happy with his assignment– especially because he had so much love and respect for Elsa that every single man who arrived had too many faults.

Anna scurried past and made quick eye contact to ask without words if he had had any success. He shook his head, and she sighed.

The royal trumpet sounded to announce the Queen's arrival. Elsa entered the room in her long, dark green dress and flowing purple cape. The sight captivated the entire room. They loved their Queen, and for the newcomers who had never seen her, the rumors were true. She was as beautiful as her kingdom, as radiant as the snowy mountains decorating the skyline, and as pure as the snow that fell on the mirror-still waters surrounding them. The whole room was silent, and Anna and Kristoff beamed at the response. Elsa took her seat, and she was incredibly uncomfortable with the attention. She did not recognize, though, that it was all positive attention– not a single bad thought in the room apart from, perhaps, a little jealousy among some women.

Anna rushed up to Elsa's chair at the front of the room.

"Anna, you know I hate these sorts of things…" Elsa whispered through her teeth.

"I don't see anyone new here who would make a good match for you," Anna began, but Elsa waved her hand and interrupted,

"Anna, stop. Please stop worrying about that. Can we just have a party and try to have a good time?"

"I'm having a great time! Finding a man for you is so much fun!"

Elsa gave Anna a sisterly death-glare, but Kai interrupted her by coughing a few times for her attention.

"Yes, Kai?"

"Your majesty, there is a prince who wishes to make your acquaintance." Anna stepped away to watch from a distance, and Elsa stood to greet her guest. As she turned, she locked eyes with a dark-haired young man. He wore a tailored white and green tunic, and he carried himself with a confident poise that set her on-edge. He stretched out his hand as if reaching to rescue her from her thoughts, and Kai's announcement of his name was muddled by her thoughts. She was captivated by his eyes and the way she could be lost forever swimming in their light-blue gaze.

"Your majesty?" Kai asked– aware of his Queen's hesitation and apparent bewilderment.

She robotically outstretched her hand and the prince took it, kissing it gingerly. Elsa snapped out of her daze and smiled slightly. She suddenly realized that she hadn't heard his name. She panicked inwardly, but Kai noticed.

" _Prince Lykke Torverdig_ , your majesty."

"Yes, thank you, Kai." Kai bowed and made his exit with a knowing chuckle.

Prince Lykke stood up straight and offered her his hand.

"Would you care to dance, Queen Elsa?"

He flashed a large toothy smile. Elsa could not help but smile back. _What the heck?_ she thought to herself. "I must apologize, but I don't dance."

His brows furrowed and his posture shrunk slightly. She added quickly (almost too quickly), "But I would love to go for a walk… If you would care to accompany."

Prince Lykke smiled again, and Elsa caught herself reciprocating the smile without meaning to. She reached out her arm, and he took her hand as she stepped down from her perch. He followed her lead to the outskirts of the party, and they wandered slowly around the crowd.

She broke the silence, "So, Prince Lykke…"

"Please, just call me Lykke. I'm not fond of titles."

She grinned and agreed, "Me neither. I don't even let my servants use them when we're not in public. Sometimes I just want to be me..." She stopped suddenly, realizing that she just opened up to a stranger. "I'm sorry. I've said too much."

"Not at all!" he insisted, smiling again.

Elsa thought to herself, _I love his smile… Woah! Where did that thought come from?_

Lykke continued, "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I could just be normal for a day!" He talked faster and faster as he went, "I think about it all the time. If I weren't a _prince_ , I wonder what my job would be, and if I'd have more friends, or if I'd have found love by now…" He stopped, also realizing that he said too much. They walked in silence for a minute, and then he tried again, "Are you sure you won't dance?" She looked at him nervously, and with that, he leaned in and whispered into her ear, "I can't dance either, but I promise you can step on my toes and I won't say anything!"

She paused then inhaling deeply, she accepted his invitation by taking his hand. He whisked her to the dance floor. Everyone parted to let the Queen have space, and they all looked at her and the prince dancing. She looked around nervously, and she could feel the tiny icicles beginning to form on the ceiling.

"Hey," Lykke whispered, "It's just you and me. Don't worry about everyone else." It worked for a minute, but soon Elsa looked past his dreamy eyes and made eye contact with Anna. She and Kristoff were whispering excitedly and giving her thumbs-up signals. Elsa stopped swaying and panicked a little.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can… I mean, if you'll excuse me…" She hurried away and left Lykke on the dance floor.

The crowd started whispering eagerly until Anna distracted them by announcing the arrival of the large cake.


	4. Sickness and a New Party Guest

Kristoff ran down the hall toward Elsa's room. Anna and Olaf were distracting the guests. He shivered as he approached the white door. He went to knock and sighed thinking about how many times Anna had been in the same position.

"Elsa?" he asked. She didn't answer, so he slowly opened the door. It was not locked– she had vowed to never lock it again– but she was still startled by its creak as he opened it. Kristoff poked his head in the room hesitantly and saw her sitting on her bed with her back to him, hands poised on her lap, and head bowed.

"Elsa? What's the matter? I thought you were having a good time." Kristoff asked cautiously.

She wiped a tear slipping down her cheek, and it turned to ice as it traveled down to the floor, shattering on the hard wood.

"I got scared."

"Why?"

"I don't know." She shivered. Kristoff noticed and went to put his arm around her, but she stopped him.

"I don't know why I feel like this. I don't want to hurt you, Kristoff."

"Elsa, let me take care of you." She looked into his big, caring eyes, and he reached for her again. She thought about his love, and how he was so wonderful for Anna– they are perfect for each other. _I've never met two people more caring than them…_ she thought.

"Agh," she gasped, suddenly doubling over and grabbing her stomach. Kristoff pulled back. Elsa breathed heavily and quickly curled up onto the bed. A sharp pain ripped through her middle, and she rocked back and forth slightly.

"I'm going to get Anna!" Kristoff flung the door open. Anna was on her way down the hallway with some news of her own. Kristoff almost knocked her over, but she caught him by the arm and stopped him.

"Anna! There's something wrong with Elsa!"

"Oh no!" They rushed back into Elsa's room– now covered in frost– and Anna placed her hand on Elsa's back.

"Elsa? Are you okay?"

"I don't know. What is happening to me?" She winced at a shooting pain in her stomach and suddenly leaned over the edge of the bed and threw up. She leaned back onto her pillow and shivered. Anna pulled the covers up over her and realized, "Wait, Elsa… Are you _cold?_ "

"I think so…"

"Kristoff," Anna whispered, "go get Grand Pabbie."

Kristoff hurried down the hall, but Anna ran out to get his attention before he could get too far.  
"Anna, what is it?" He whispered.

"I was coming to tell you before: a prince just showed up at the party. He says that he and Elsa were promised to each other when they were babies, and now he is here to marry her." Anna looked at Kristoff inquisitively as he took in the new information.

"Anna," Kristoff said, "we can't tell Elsa this now. We need to worry about getting her healthy first. I'm going to get Grand Pabbie. You break up the party and tell everyone that Elsa is under the weather."

"What about this prince?"

"Have the servants host him in another part of the castle– as far from Elsa's room as they can. I'll be back in a few minutes."

She nodded, and he quickly added, "I love you." He kissed her quickly as he rushed away. "And take care of your sister!"

Anna stood still for a moment while Kristoff left the castle. She snapped out of her daze and went back to Elsa's room.

Anna slipped as she stepped into the doorway. Elsa had frozen the floor, and snowflakes had begun falling as well.

"Elsa, how are you feeling?" Anna asked.

"A little better I think. Anna, you don't have to stay with me."

"Sure I do! You're my sister, and I love you." With those words, Elsa warmed up and the icicles around the room began dripping.

Elsa sat up in bed and held her head in her hands.

"What's the matter?" Anna asked, putting her arm around her sister.

"I hate feeling like this! I don't know why my emotions are changing things so crazily. Why am I such a wreck? And why do I have so little control?"

Grand Pabbie walked into the room just as Elsa was worrying out loud, and he reached up a hand to calm her.

"Elsa, calm down child. I was in the forest, and the Northern Lights were glowing more brightly than I had ever seen before. It was then that I knew you would be okay."

"What do you mean, Grand Pabbie? When was this?"

"It was about two hours ago. It seems you have found someone who balances you and calms your mind. Is that true?"

"Well, I was talking with Prince Lykke, and he was really nice. I didn't know that I have control over the celestial lights. Do you think I should go talk with him again?"

"If your heart says to, dear," Grand Pabbie smiled.

Anna jumped in, "That might actually be a problem…"

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"After you ran out, another prince came to the party. I don't remember his name, but he said that he was from the Eastern Isles, and that you and he were promised to each other at birth."

"Promised?" Elsa's head reeled for a moment. "Mom and dad wouldn't have done that!"

"Elsa, do you want me to kick him out?" Kristoff interjected.

"Where is he now?"

"Kai and Gerda are settling him into the guest room on the far end of the castle. He said he wouldn't leave until he sees…" Anna paused, "his bride."


	5. Late-night Meeting

Elsa wandered into the abandoned courtyard. It was in these late, small hours of the night that she felt most comfortable with her curse. While her kingdom slept, she could create and delight in the soft snowflakes that flew out of her fingertips without worrying about judging eyes. So as many nights before, she snuck out and let loose while surrounded by the same walls that once contained her. Now they became a sanctuary rather than a prison, but some days still felt the same. How could anyone love her when she could so quickly throw the world out of balance?

She shook her head to clear out those thoughts. She reached her arms behind her back and brought them up over her head slowly, stretching away her stress. She kept her eyes closed and breathed in the night air. Its frosty stillness filled her nostrils, and she gently smiled as a small burst of snow erupted from her palms. Her smile grew, and she opened her eyes quickly, suddenly letting out an amazing display of her ice powers.

She froze the courtyard and glided around the glassy surface. She twirled, and her dress grew to become an elegant gown with a long train and icicle design. As she skated, she loosened up and created great sculptures of the things she loved. She floated around a still, clear ice sculpture of Olaf. She glided past a frozen Sven and Kristoff, and finally, she ended in front of a large version of herself and Anna hugging in the middle of the courtyard.

She looked for a long time at the smiles she had plastered on both faces. The intricate laugh lines around her cheeks and the large toothy grin on her little sister made her feel alive. She glanced at the other statues adorning the space, and her heart sunk. She sighed, and with a wave of her hand, Kristoff's statue appeared next to Anna– hugging her tightly. Elsa tilted her head and added Sven and Olaf to the pile. All of the icy faces beamed with happiness, and they all clung together in a tight embrace.

There was suddenly a large thud as someone fell off a ledge. Elsa's beautiful ice sculptures exploded softly and sunk into large piles of powdered snow.

"Who's there?" Elsa cried out as she instinctively hunched to a more defensive position.

"A friend, your Majesty, not a foe," a low voice boomed confidently from behind a snowdrift, "Please lower your hands. I'm not here to attack you."

"I will when you show yourself," she replied menacingly.

"Very well, then." A tall, dark figure loomed toward her. He had piercing, black eyes and a strong jaw. His hair spiked across his forward in a large swoop, and his body was shrouded in a loose, long cape. He approached her quickly, but he stopped several meters away. The distance did little to settle her uneasiness.  
"Who are you?" she prodded.

"Forgive me, your Majesty. Formal introductions are due: I am Prince Bedra Forræder. I arrived a little late to your party. I was able to make the acquaintance of your younger sister, though. She is lovely. Not as lovely, though, as you." He finished his introduction with a small, polite bow and eagerly stuck his hand out for Elsa to grab. She obliged, and he kissed the back of her dainty hand. _Well, he is well mannered,_ she thought.  
He continued, "I apologize for startling you earlier. I was taking a walk around the gardens and heard you out here. I was captivated by the beauty of your creations."  
"You were not surprised to see ice magic?" she retorted.

"Not at all, Queen. I grew up with the stories of this realm. I am fascinated by your powers, but I must admit I am more fascinated with getting to know my future betrothed."  
Elsa involuntarily gasped. "You are the prince Anna told me about?"  
"What did she say?" he teased.

"Um, just, uh…" she paused, regained her poise and posture, and continued, "she told me that there seems to have been a misunderstanding. You are expecting us to be wed, but I assure you that I have no knowledge of an arrangement being made."  
"Queen Elsa," he pleaded, "I am sure that your parents– Gods rest their souls– were going to wait to tell you, but I have been looking forward to our union my entire life."

"Please, stop speaking of this as if it is decided. We have very different marriage laws here now. I am free to choose who I would like to marry, if at all, and I am afraid that you may be leaving here very disappointed." She ended her quick rant with a huff of cold air. Prince Bedra stepped back. He looked around, shivered at the quickly-dropping temperature, and then regained his confidence. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle," he stated matter-of-factly, "I know it is news to you, and I know that you do not know me yet, but I promise you, I will marry you. After watching you in this courtyard, I am in awe of what you can do. Your beauty radiates from head to toe, and I can see through your ice creations that you are full of love. Say yes, your Majesty. Honor your parents' wish."

Elsa's heart dropped. "You are saying," she wrung her hands in nervousness, "that after you heard what I did to the kingdom, and after you saw what I did tonight, you think you could love me?"

Bedra smiled at her, "I know I could. Please, Queen Elsa, allow me to court you."

She paused and let out a tiny sigh. "Yes."

Prince Bedra's smile turned into a grin from ear to ear. He stretched out his elbow, and Elsa took his lead. He led her into the castle, and she slowly melted the iced courtyard behind them.

Prince Lykke entered the courtyard quickly. He had heard Elsa's voice and thought she was talking to herself (like he was prone to doing.) He watched as Bedra led her through the grand doors. Her arm was poised on the crook of his elbow, and she was intently listening to a story he was telling while wildly animating with his other hand. Lykke left the winter lily he had gotten for her on a ledge and entered the castle after they were out of earshot. He slumped back to his guest room in defeat.


	6. Brunch

As Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf sat around the table enjoying Saturday brunch, Elsa finally had to ask. "Anna, why do you keep glancing at me?!" The question came out a little angrier than she meant it, but she was getting annoyed that Anna couldn't keep her eyes off of her.

"Glancing? Who's glancing?" Anna feigned innocence. Elsa, Kristoff, and even Olaf, all raised eyebrows at her.

"Anna," Elsa stated more kindly, "you've been so fixated on me this morning that you've spilled half of your meal down your front."

Anna looked down and sighed. As she dipped her napkin in some water to try to get out some of the stains, she muttered, "Gerda is going to kill me. This is third stained dress I'll have given her this week. One day I spilled at breakfast _and_ lunch!" Kristoff just laughed at her.

Olaf added with a giggle, "I don't have any stains... or clothes."

Elsa smiled at her snowman then turned her attention back to her sister. "So? Why have you been staring? You're making me uncomfortable."

Anna shifted slightly in her chair and looked at Kristoff for reassurance before blurting out, "Elsa, you can't do it! Don't go marrying this prince just because he showed up saying you were promised to him!"

She looked at Kristoff again. He seemed a little shocked at her tone, but he nodded in approval. They both turned to gauge Elsa's reaction.

Elsa sighed and began, "Anna..."

Kristoff interjected, "What Anna is trying to say, Elsa, is that we love you and want what's best. This can't be it."

Anna grabbed his hand and smiled at him. They had apparently talked this through after last night's events.

"Thank you for your concern, but..."

"And we promise that we'll take care of whatever needs to be done legally to make sure that this scumbag doesn't ever come near you again," Anna added.

Kristoff pulled her closer to him, but when Anna noticed Elsa looking at their embrace, she pushed him away and pulled her hand into her own lap.

Elsa paused for a second. She opened her mouth, and before she could get any sound out, Kristoff interrupted again, "And Sven is on board too. If we need him, he could help with getting rid of the unwanted prince."

Elsa paused again and smirked at them. "Can I talk now?" she asked with a hint of amusement. Anna missed her joking tone and looked at her boyfriend seriously. Kristoff nodded, and she said to Elsa, "Yes, you may."

"Thanks..." Elsa said slowly. "I appreciate your concern, but I met the prince last night, and he seems quite nice, actually."

"You met him?" Anna and Kristoff asked at the same time.

"Yes. I um, went for a walk, and we bumped into each other."

"Oh," Anna didn't know what to say. She had been so upset with how insistent the prince had been.

"I'm going to meet him again this afternoon and walk around the grounds for a while," Elsa stated casually. Inside she was actually quite nervous about this first official outing with the prince, but for some reason she didn't want to tell Anna about it.

"That's great," Anna lied, a little surprised by how her sister was handling the news of being promised to be married to a total stranger.

Kristoff reached over to tuck a piece of hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear. Anna looked up at Elsa with worry as soon as Kristoff touched her.

"Anna!" Elsa said, exasperated. "What is wrong with you this morning? Why do you keep looking at me like I'm going to explode at any minute?"

Anna shifted nervously. "I'm just not used to this," she mumbled. Elsa barely heard her.

"What?"

"I'm not used to this," she repeated.

"Used to what?" Elsa asked.

Anna shyly replied, "you being weak." Her words shocked Elsa. Was she weak? She hadn't thought so, but lately she was fainting, getting headaches, and throwing up at practically nothing.

"I'm not... I mean," Elsa stammered. "I'm fine, Anna. Please don't worry about me." She forced a small smile.

"Don't worry?" Anna mocked. When she met Elsa's gaze, Anna's eyes were starting to tear up. "Elsa, we don't know what's making all of this stuff happen to you. I've never seen you as anything but the strongest woman I know– so full of love and always there to protect me. Last week you almost fainted because I lied and told you Kristoff and I were getting married."

"Wait, what?" Kristoff said through a mouthful of his breakfast.  
Anna waved a hand to tell him to shut up. "Elsa, I'm so worried about you. Grand Pabbie said you needed to find love, not just a husband. Besides, I don't want you to consider something like this arrangement when you have so much love to give to the right person."

Elsa stared at her little sister, dumbfounded. She had never heard Anna say something so thoughtful. Elsa gained her resolve and stated, "Well, I'm just going for a walk with Prince Bedra this afternoon. We're not having a marriage ceremony. And who knows? He might be Prince Charming. I think I have to give him a chance. Please stop worrying so much," she thought for a second and added, "and please stop pushing Kristoff away while I'm around. It's just as annoying to me as it is for him, I'm sure."

Elsa smiled at her sister and got up from the table. She was about to leave the room when she decided to turn around and rush over to Anna. Elsa grabbed her with all of her might and scooped her into a big hug. Anna reciprocated happily, and Elsa held out a hand to bring Kristoff in too.

Olaf jumped in, "Wait for me, guys!" He piled on, and Elsa couldn't help but think that if only there were a big reindeer in the mix, then they would look just like the sculpture she had made the night before. She left to get ready for her walk with the prince.

Kristoff helped himself to seconds, and then thirds and fourths before deciding he was full enough. Anna took his hand as they got up from the table. As they came out of the dining room, one of the princes from the party interrupted them.

"Excuse me, Princess Anna, and Ice Master Kristoff, sir."

Anna curtsied politely and Kristoff held out his hand. "Just Kristoff, please," he said as he shook the young prince's hand.

"I'm sorry," Anna admitted, "but we met a lot of people last night. Can you remind me of your name?"

"Oh, of course!" he said quickly. "I am Prince Lykke Torverdig. I danced with Queen Elsa last night."

"Oh, you're the one who got her to dance!" said Anna excitedly.

"And then throw up?" Kristoff muttered out of the side of his mouth so only Anna could hear. She gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, unnoticed by the prince.

"Is Queen Elsa around?" Lykke asked eagerly, "I was hoping to talk with her again. I'm afraid our meeting was cut short because she wasn't feeling well."

"Yes, um..." Anna was worried that Lykke would find out why Elsa had run off. "She had a sudden stomach bug sort of thing... Terrible... I mean, not too terrible... She's better... But I don't think she's up to seeing you... I mean, not just you, but anyone..." This time it was Kristoff's turn to jab Anna in the ribs.

As she rubbed her side, Kristoff kindly told the prince, "If we see her, we'll let her know that you want to talk again. How long will you be staying at the palace?"

"The servants offered guest rooms to far-away princes for the week. It is quite a trek to get here from my small kingdom, so I will be here until Friday."

"We will let her know," Kristoff promised.

"Thank you so much! It was nice to see you." Prince Lykke practically skipped down the hall as he left the conversation.

"I like him," Anna whispered to Kristoff. "And don't nudge me so hard. I think you broke a rib."

"I might have to check that out!" Kristoff pretended to be serious. "You may even have to take your dress off so I can get a better look!"

Anna rolled her eyes, but she allowed Kristoff to lead her toward her bedroom, all the while keeping an eye out for Elsa.


	7. First Date

Elsa walked down the grand staircase with regal poise. Internally she was very nervous, but she smiled gently down to Prince Bedra waiting by the large front doors.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty," Prince Bedra said with a polite bow.

"Good afternoon, Prince Bedra," she answered. "Please, just call me Elsa in this setting."

She was expecting him to tell her to drop his title as well, but he just answered, "Sure, Elsa."

He held the door for her as they stepped out into the sunlight. Although the air was crisp and cool, the sun shone over the kingdom. It was a beautiful day. Elsa almost commented on it when she thought to herself, _Come on, Elsa... the weather? You can do better than that._

"So, Prince Bedra," she purposely used his title to give him a chance to tell her to drop it, but he didn't seem to notice. She continued, "What do you do for fun in your kingdom?"

"Oh, you know," he sidestepped. "Ride horses, attend meetings, go hunting..." he trailed off. "How did you acquire your powers?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh, um..." she was shocked at his questioning, but she supposed that it would come up eventually, so why not now? "I was born with them. No one knows why or how. My parents were searching for answers, but they never found them."

"Interesting. And no one else in your family has powers?"

"No." Elsa was hoping to change the subject. She didn't want to stay too focused on her powers. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?"

"It is. If I asked, could you make it snow right here? Right now?"

"Are you asking?" Elsa questioned.

"Yes," Prince Bedra answered excitedly. "I love the snow, and I'd love to see more of what you can do!"

Elsa smiled. She was glad that he was so comfortable with the idea of her powers, but she had hoped to get to know him more before diving into this topic of conversation.

"Alright," she answered. With a wave of her arm she conjured up a giant snow mound. With it, she created an ice toboggan. "Are you ready?" She asked him, taking his hand and leading him to the sled.

"We're going to ride that?" He asked, surprised at the Snow Queen's childishness. Elsa knew that it was a bit much for a first meeting, but something about her magic and him being so comfortable with it brought out a playful side in her.

He looked worried. She abruptly became self-conscious and worried that she had done too much. "We don't have to... if you don't want to... I thought you meant that you liked to play in the snow, but I guess you never said that..." She talked faster and faster trying to cover up her actions. "I mean, I also like to just look at it. It's pretty, and..." She stopped when he took her by the hand and continued to the sled. She smiled and let him lead her. They slid down the large hill and laughed all the way down. It was a fast descent. The ice toboggan had very little friction against the snow.

When they reached the bottom, they tumbled out of the sled, and Bedra helped her up.

"Wow..." he gasped. "That was... fast." He looked pretty disheveled.

"Did you have fun?" Elsa asked as she fixed her dress.

He paused and looked at the sled. "Yes... It's just..."

"What?" Elsa was still smiling happily.

He paused and then said very seriously, "It's amazing that such powers can create a fun game just as easily as they can throw the world out of balance."

Elsa immediately stopped smiling and looked at him incredulously. "Yeah..." She didn't deny what he said because it was true, but she normally tried not to think of those things. As long as she focused on love, it didn't matter.

"Don't get me wrong," he added quickly. "I love your powers. It's just... I can see why some people might misunderstand."

She furrowed her brow and turned away from him. He smiled to himself.

"Don't worry, though," he said as he put an arm around her. "I know you're in _total_ control of your powers."

"Yeah, total control," she said shakily.

"I would never allow people to think you're a monster."

At the word 'monster,' Elsa had a flash back to her coronation:

" _Monster! She's a monster!" yelled the Duke of Weselton. "No!" Elsa tried to hold it all back. "Conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel," she whispered, but it was too late. The world knew, and her fear took control._

"Elsa?" Bedra pulled her out of her thoughts with a light stroke of her white hair.

"Hm?" she asked.

"Are you alright?" He took her hand and smiled at its cold touch.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Bedra."

"Please, call me Prince Bedra. I'm rather fond of my title. My family worked hard to earn it."

"Of course..." she still was unable to completely rid her mind of her old fears.

"This was a lovely afternoon," he said cheerfully, drastically changing the subject. "Would you allow me to meet you again?"

"Yes, of course," she answered politely.

They walked to the palace with little more than light small talk. When they reached the front door, Anna was exiting at the same time.

"Princess Anna!" Prince Bedra said happily. "It is so wonderful to see you. You're looking lovelier than ever."

Kristoff joined them, and he reached out a hand to introduce himself to Elsa's date. "Kristoff..." he said plainly as he took the prince's hand in his.

"Prince Bedra. Pleased to meet you. I heard all about you last night from your lovely girlfriend."

"Oh?" Kristoff asked, giving Anna a look to say _Why didn't you tell me?_

"Yes, it's so interesting that Arendelle has such loose laws about who royalty can date. That would never occur in the Eastern Isles."

"Well, we're just lucky I guess!" Anna said cheerfully, pulling Kristoff in for a side-hug. Kristoff looked at the prince warily. He wasn't sure why, but something about him seemed off.

"Elsa?" Anna asked.

"Hm?" Elsa answered absentmindedly.

"Are you going to invite Prince Bedra into the castle?"

"Oh, I... um..." Elsa struggled to pull herself out of her daze.

"I was just leaving to head into town," Bedra saved her. "I'd like to visit as much of Arendelle as I can while I'm here. I'd love to get to know the place where I will... I mean, _may_ one day live."

"Thank you for the wonderful afternoon, Prince Bedra" Elsa said politely.

"Always a pleasure, Elsa." Bedra kissed her hand, bowed to Anna, and left to walk around town.

Elsa went up to her room and shut the door behind her without a word to Anna.


End file.
